No punch line here, just new members of the Life Fitness Mileage Club who achieved their fitness goals with Life Fitness equipment. People from all walks of life have submitted remarkable stories on how fitness and specifically, Life Fitness, has changed their lives. Four stories were chosen as finalists in a vote for the most inspiring story. We would like to congratulate Michael Meyer from Lexington, KY on winning the fan favorite vote and a new piece of Life Fitness equipment. You can read his story below and if you have a fitness success story to share, Life Fitness and fellow Mileage Club members would love to hear them.

Many people confuse the terms “impact” and “intensity” when it comes to workouts. “Impact” refers to the force of your body used in a particular exercise, while “intensity” refers to the level of difficulty, focus and your power.

High impact exercises include running, jogging, plyometrics (jumping) and other workouts where the body is making contact with, or pounding, the ground. Low impact exercises typically mean that one foot stays in contact with the ground, such as walking, climbing, riding a bike or pedaling the elliptical.

Since high impact exercises tend to put more stress on the joints – particularly ankles, knees, hips and backs – the good news is that low impact does not mean low intensity.

Follow this advice to find a low impact/high intensity workout that works for you:

The elliptical can be an effective partner when you need to give your knees a break and want a total-body workout. But most of us who are regular users know that numb-toe feeling. You’re running at a steady pace, still have energy to do more, and then right around the 2 to 4 mile mark it feels like your toes are falling asleep.

This happens to everyone, on every brand in the market. But, one of the best ways to prevent or reduce numb toe is to simply make sure you pedal backwards every 20 minutes or so. Numb-toe is caused by constant pressure on the balls of your feet and toes. When you pedal backwards, the pressure moves to your heels, reducing the pressure on your little piggies.